The School Play
by ChaosAngel4us
Summary: Raysia couldn't believe it. She was the main character in the school play! And who other than the fiery redhead to play her prince? As Raysia tries to survive Amber's many attempts to scare her off and injure her so she can't do the play, the already budding romance between Raysia and Castiel reaches its final peak. Will the two stubborn teens finally realize each others feelings?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, guys! Eris back with another My Candy Love story, though this time it will be a short multi-chapter fic. This is my take on what will happen in the upcoming chapter. Once it comes out I'll be sure to compare notes! **

**This contains spoilers if you haven't played up until chapter 20. **

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**DISCLAIMER: I do not own My Candy Love or any characters that are from the game present in this story. I'm simply playing around with them.**

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Raysia was in shock to say the least. Once the roles had all been called, it took Castiel squeezing her hand a little bit too hard to wake her from the daze.

"You alright?"

"I'm the— I'm the princess."

"Yes you are." Castiel said slowly, not sure why she was so shocked. Raysia was a talented actress, though he'd never admit that out loud to her.

"I'm Sleeping Beauty in Sleeping Beauty."

"They just called the cast list, Ray. And it looks like I was right. Everyone else was just worse at their auditions than you were." He said with a smirk. Raysia gave him a sour look.

"Thanks, Castiel. It's good to know you're on my side…" she said sarcastically.

"I'm always on your side!" he insisted. Raysia opened her mouth to retort with a _"Not always"_, but she bit her tongue to hold it back. There was no need to open old wounds. Especially when they happened to be Deborah shaped.

"It sucks that I have to play such a stupid role." Castiel said with a sigh.

"What do you mean? You're the main character!"

"I never said I wanted to get a role in this stupid play."

Raysia stared at him incredulously. "You're the prince, for pete's sake! Stop complaining and just go with it."

After the two of them grabbed their scripts from Mr. Boris, Castiel tugged her out of the gymnasium, still holding her hand. Raysia made no sounds of protest; everyone else was leaving as well. A sharp, manicured hand grabbed Raysia by the collar of her shirt and yanked her back. Hard. Raysia spun around to see Amber glowering at her.

"You think you're so great, getting the lead role, huh?" she demanded angrily.

"Look, I got the role and if you have a problem with it you're welcome to take it up with administration." Raysia said as calmly as she could. Castiel leaned up against the lockers, crossing his arms over his chest while he waited. Amber laughed.

"Oh, whatever. I happen to be your understudy. It would be a shame if something… happened to you to keep you from doing the show." Amber said slyly. She gave Raysia a feral grin before waving at her. "Ta."

Raysia gritted her teeth but kept her cool. She didn't feel like getting angry with the dumb blonde today. Castiel came up beside her and slipped his hand in her hand once again.

"Hey, chill. That stupid broad won't do anything to keep you from doing the play, I promise." He told her. Raysia smirked and looked at him out of the corner of her eye.

"And what makes you so sure?" she asked. "Are you saying you'll protect me from the big-bad-Amber?"

Castiel snorted. " Nah, I'm just gonna sit back and watch you struggle through all the harmless pranks she puts you through."

"But I thought you said—"

"Look," Castiel interrupted, "Amber will try a lot of stupid things, but she isn't that much of an idiot to actually try to hurt you. You'll be fine."

"Ray-Ray!" Alexy called from down the hall. Raysia waved at him and allowed him to tackle her into a hug. Castiel got jerked down due to his and Raysia's connected hands. She released him with an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, Cas."

"I heard you got the lead in the play! Good for you. I'm so proud! My little Raysia is all grown up and moving on to bigger and better things!" Alexy gushed, rubbing his face against hers. Raysia laughed and playfully pushed him away.

"Stop it, Alexy! You're embarrassing me!"

"Never! You're too cute!"

The corners of Castiel's mouth curled up into a smile as he watched the two friends interact. Raysia eventually managed to break free from Alexy's iron grip while he pouted slightly.

"No, Alexy. So, when are you and Rosa going to start on the costumes?"

Alexy grimaced. "She's going to have me working so hard! She's making us start today, fifteen minutes ago actually which means I'm probably going to get scolded. I should go. Bye, Raysia! Good luck with learning your lines!" Alexy said before rushing off to the classroom Rosalya was preparing as the costume room.

"Don't make my costume too ugly!" Raysia called after him as he sprinted down the hallway. He laughed.

"You know me! Nothing I could make would ever be ugly!"

"I wouldn't be too sure." Castiel said. "I mean, seeing you in a poofy pink dress will make my stomach churn."

Raysia glared at him. "I wouldn't look that bad!"

"It would definitely make your chest look flatter than usual."

"Stop making fun of my chest all the time, you meanie!"

Castiel laughed and Raysia puffed up her cheeks in anger.

"Dummy. I'm going home and you can either come with me or follow behind me. Your choice." Raysia said, turning away from him and stomping down the hallway toward the exit. Castiel chuckled again and took his place beside her, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Whatever. I'll walk with you. Maybe Demon won't hop the fence and tackle you this time."

"He hasn't done that in a long time!"

"I've been teaching him attack commands. All I have to say is 'kill' and he'll do it."

Raysia rolled her eyes at him. "I sincerely doubt that. Demon is just a big sweetheart." She said. Demon and she were on pleasant terms. The Beauce Shepard made sure she said hello to him every time she passed his yard.

"I don't get what he's sees in you."

"Well, I'm nice to him for one thing."

"I'm nice to him too!"

Raysia giggled.

"Of everyone, _I'm_ Demon's favorite." Castiel continued. Raysia noticed he was somewhat put off.

"I think that's debatable. Demon gets more excited when he sees me."

"That's because you always have a treat for him!"

"Not all the time!"

The two bickered back and forth the entire walk home. Regardless of their position on the matter, Demon woofed happily at the sight of Raysia and after getting his usual petting, he went to lie on the steps of the porch without offering Castiel a second glance. Raysia smirked in triumph at the redhead. He rolled his eyes.

"Whatever. This doesn't prove anything."

"It proves everything!" Raysia insisted, still grinning. "Hey, we should get together sometime this week to work on our lines."

It was Castiel's turn to smirk. "You just want to practice kissing me, which I don't blame you. I am the best looking guy in school so it's natural you're so attracted to me."

"I-idiot!" Raysia stammered out, turning bright red. "That has nothing to do with it! I just want to practice lines!"

"Whatever you have to tell yourself."

Raysia childishly stuck her tongue out at him and nearly ran inside her apartment. Castiel chuckled.

"Hey, I'll meet you at the café tomorrow afternoon so we can practice lines. I'll buy you a drink!" Castiel called after her. Raysia stopped in the threshold.

"Are you actually going to buy me a drink this time or just water like last time?"

"An actual coke and everything equipped with two straws."

Raysia blushed again.

"I'm not sharing anything with you! I want my own coke."

"We'll see."

Raysia closed the door behind her and took a deep breath as she leaned against the door.

"Honey? Are you home?" Her mother called from the kitchen. Raysia smiled.

"Yes I am! Hey, Mom, I got the lead in the school play!"

Her mother clapped her hands together and pulled the blonde in for a hug. "Oh, darling, that is wonderful! I knew you would be able to do it. I'm so proud of you!"

"Thanks, Mom."

Raysia's mom kissed her daughter's cheek. "Would you like me to help you with your lines?"

"Maybe later. I've had a long day and I'd really like to just sit down and relax for a bit." Raysia said. She moved to sit on the couch and turned on the TV.

"Of course! Would you like a glass of juice?"

"Yes please."

Raysia was soon absorbed into the episode of Supernatural. She thanked her mom for the glace of orange juice, but other than that she had no interruptions. Almost as soon as the episode was over, Raysia's phone rang. She looked down to see the caller I.D.: Rosalya. She accepted the call and hesitantly put the phone to her ear. Rosalya was known for talking a bit too loudly over the phone.

"Hello?"

"Raysia, I heard you got the lead in the play. Good job, sweetie! I can't wait to start designing your gown."

"What color are you going to make it?"

"Well," Rosalya started and Raysia was prepared for a long-winded response, "I've been talking with Alexy and we've agreed that the dress would have to be either a bright pink or a light blue like the character in the Disney movie. However, purple and green look really good on you so we're taking those into consideration as well because who cares if the dress matched the movie? I'm leaning more toward the dark green to make your eyes really pop but Alexy thinks either the traditional pink/blue or purple would be better. I'm not sold on a particular color, but I will get back to you on that."

"I'm excited to see what you will do with the costumes."

Rosalya giggled. "Yeah, plus Leigh has volunteered to help me. He's really good at fashion just like me and he makes a good majority of his own clothing."

"That's cool!"

"Speaking of male partners, I hear a certain redhead has the part of your dashing prince?"

Raysia could practically hear Rosalya wiggling her eyebrows. She resisted groaning at her best friend.

"Yes, he has the part of the prince. And we will be going to practice lines at the café tomorrow." She said, feeling another blush begin to dust her cheeks.

"Ooh, a date!" Rosalya exclaimed. "Tell me _everything_ when you get back and be sure to wear that sexy red lingerie you bought from the store last weekend!"

"Why do I have to wear sexy lingerie?" Raysia asked incredulously and a little embarrassed.

"You never know~" Rosalya replied in a singsong voice. Raysia's blush increased in intensity.

"Rosa…" she whined. Rosalya giggled.

"Well, Alexy and I need to get working on creating more costume designs. I'm gonna have to let you go now."

"It's so unfair…" Raysia pouted. "Both of my best friends aren't going to be in the show with me!"

"You've got Lysbaby!" Rosalya reminded her. "He gets to play the part of your father. And Violette's you're mother, right?"

"Yeah. Armin is Castiel's father as well." Raysia said.

"I've got the cast list somewhere around here… Anyway, I _really_ have to go now. Bye, babe! Good luck with your date tomorrow~"

And with that, Rosalya hung up. Raysia always felt better after talking to the white-haired girl. Rosalya was never afraid to speak her mind and it was refreshing. Plus, she was a great friend who truly cared about Raysia.

"Raysia, dinner is almost ready. Could you help me set the table?"

"Yes, Mom!"

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Raysia had nearly forgotten about Amber's threats the day before when she walked into school that morning. She was happy and excited about the (well, date was the only word that she could think of to describe what she and Castiel were going to do that afternoon. That or "practice", but date sounded better in her head) that would take place later that day and nothing could ruin her mood.

That is, until she opened her locker and ended up splashed with red paint.

Raysia yelped in surprise as the cold paint splattered her face, ruined her clothes, and damaged her notebooks and textbooks for class. She sighed miserably, wiping the paint from her eyes so she could open them.

Amber chose that moment to walk by with her lackeys Charlotte and Li. The three girls were laughing.

"Oh dear, what could have possibly happened here?" Amber asked sweetly. Raysia ignored her and the three girls walked by once Amber got a good shove in. Raysia hit the floor and just sat there for a moment. She _really_ didn't want to have to deal with this right now.

"I have three guesses as to who is responsible for this." A snarky, masculine voice said from above her. She looked up to see Castiel smirking down at her. "Amber already started her pranking I assume."

Raysia nodded. "Could you cover for me while I go take a shower in the locker room?"

"Maybe."

"_Please_, Castiel."

"Fine. Go wash yourself off before the paint stains. I'll take care of your locker."

Raysia stared at him questioningly. "You will?"

Castiel simply shrugged before taking off his leather jacket and beginning to pick through the things in her locker. Raysia smiled.

"So you really do care about me."

A faint pink blush darkened his cheeks. "Whatever. Maybe a little. Now go before I change my mind." He said.

"Thank you."

Castiel grunted but said nothing. Raysia hurried to the girls' locker room. Luckily she had her gym clothes she could change into.


	2. Chapter 2

**And here is chapter 2! Than you to all my lovely reviewers! I appreciate your comments. Enjoy!**

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Raysia spent a good fifteen minutes in the shower scrubbing the red paint from her body. Luckily she made it to the shower in time to keep the paint from staining her clothes. The paint had missed her jeans except for a few small red dots on the front so once thoroughly soaked, she pulled on her gym shirt and put her jeans back on.

It wasn't her ideal school day outfit, but it would have to do.

She rung the water from her shirt and jacket and hung them in her gym locker to dry. She'd come back for them once school ended. Raysia pulled her long blonde hair into a ponytail before checking her image one last time in the mirror and heading to class.

Raysia was only a few minutes late. She took her seat by Violette and allowed herself to be pulled into the class lecture. It was Math, her least favorite subject, but she needed to pay attention so she could pass the class. Raysia was only distracted once: when Castiel walked into the class a little over halfway though. She noticed his jacket was slung over his shoulder and his hands were stained red. She smiled at him and he winked at her.

Violette noticed Raysia's distracted state and nudged her to get her to pay attention again. Raysia silently thanked her and returned to listening to their teacher.

When the bell rang to signal the end of class, Raysia hung back so she could catch Castiel as he left the room. She fell into step beside him.

"Thanks again for cleaning up my locker."

"It was no big deal."

"But you missed most of class…" Raysia trailed off, looking at her feet.

"Hey," Castiel grabbed her chin to make her look at him, "I missed _Math_. Who the hell cares about Math? I don't."

Raysia smiled at him and he released her chin. She mused silently on the fact that he had been touching her a lot more often. Holding her hand, teasingly pinching her arm, brushing loose strands of hair from her face, lifting her chin…

"Are you feeling okay? You look a little pink." Castiel said. Raysia realized with a start that she had begun to blush as she thought about Castiel. She laughed and waved away his concern with her hand.

"It's just a little warm in here. I'll be fine!"

Castiel shrugged and stuffed his hands in his pockets. Raysia felt a slight twinge in her heart, wishing he would hold her hand like he had yesterday.

"Um, well, I should get to class now. Bye!" Raysia said quickly and hurried off to class. Castiel watched her go in amusement. She was cute; a little annoying at times when she poked her nose in his business, but she was also capable of standing up for herself. She was strong, independent, and he loved teasing her.

Raysia nearly collided with Violette as she rushed into her next class. The small purple-haired girl squeaked in surprise.

"Violette! I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there."

"Were you distracted again?" the smaller girl asked slyly. Raysia gave her a blank look.

"What?"

"I say how you looked at Castiel when he walked into first period today. Like he was the prince coming to your rescue."

"Th-that is not true!" Raysia protested. "If you haven't heard, Amber put a paint bomb in my locker and it exploded all over me and my locker. Castiel was nice enough to clean up my locker while I ran to wash myself off. I was simply thankful."

"You were swooning, Raysia."

"I most certainly was not!"

Violette giggled at her friend. She looped her arm through Raysia's and gently tugged her into the classroom. "Come on; we don't want to be late for English."

Raysia perked up at the mention of her favorite subject. She allowed Violette's teasing comments to slide. This time.

The rest of the day was spent in comfortable silence from Amber's end. Raysia figured she didn't have anything else up her sleeves for the day. Raysia swore to herself that she would be much better prepared tomorrow for whatever the nasty blonde had to throw at her. During lunch, she sat with all her friends except for Rosalya and Alexy. She had seen Alexy at the beginning of lunch, but before he could even sit down, the white-haired she-demon that was Rosalya swooped in and dragged him away to the depths of hell in order to work on costumes.

He didn't go quietly, shrieking for help the whole way. Raysia laughed and waved at them, not bothering to help her best friend escape from her other best friend. Instead, she turned to Lysander who only recently had decided to leave the music room to start eating lunch with everyone else.

"Hey, Lys, how is your next song coming along?" she asked. Lysander took a bite out of his sandwich before replying.

"I have most of the lyrics written. Castiel is taking his time writing the music to accompany it."

"I'd really like to hear it when you guys finish."

Lysander hid a grin behind his water bottle. "I'm sure you do."

"What was that?"

"It was nothing. Don't worry about it." He said, brushing her question aside. "Speaking of Castiel, have you seen him today?"

Raysia nodded. "Yeah, he was in first period. Why?"

"He wasn't in third period which isn't usually strange for him, but he told me yesterday he would be there today. Plus he isn't at lunch."

"Do you want me to go look for him?" Raysia asked. She didn't wait for an answer from Lysander; she was already packing up her lunch and shoving it in her bag. "I'll be right back."

Lysander had a feeling that she wouldn't be.

Raysia started with his usual hangouts: the music room, the staircase, the rooftop… She ended up finding him on the rooftop. She cleared her throat to catch his attention.

"Um, Castiel? What are you up to?" she asked. Castiel shrugged.

"You know, this is the first place I took you when we first met."

Raysia came up beside him and looked out at the courtyard. She could see her friends eating at the picnic table below.

"Yeah. I remember." Raysia said with a smile. "So, what has you so nostalgic? Lys was wondering where you were."

Castiel glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "I'm not nostalgic. I just didn't feel like hanging around people today." He said.

"Do you want me to go?"

"As long as you shut up, you can stay."

Raysia stayed silent as she stood beside Castiel. It was a chance for her to observe him quietly. Castiel was extremely handsome, something she had noticed a _long _time ago. His jacket was hanging over the railing so he was leaning against it dressed in only his red t-shirt. It exposed his arms, muscled and tough from Raysia could only guess what. But they were nice arms. He also had nice hands. His fingers were long and his nails were squared off, but she could remember what they felt like when she held them: calloused but warm. They were stained a faint red today and Raysia was sure that was from him cleaning up her locker for her.

Castiel caught her staring and smirked at her.

"Like what you see, Blondie?" he asked. Raysia glared at him but felt herself begin to blush. (She'd been doing that a lot lately…)

"I wasn't staring!" Raysia protested quickly. That only caused Castiel to laugh.

"Take a picture; it'll last longer."

"I'm not taking any pictures of you!" Raysia nearly shouted. "I never have and I never will!" _Other than the picture I have of you that Rosalya gave me a few months ago…_ she thought but would never tell Castiel that. "Lunch is over so I'm going to class now. Goodbye."

"I'll meet you outside the school this afternoon so we can walk to the café together." Castiel said as Raysia started to make her way down the stairs.

"Alright."

She walked quickly to her next class but was stopped in the hallway by Rosalya.

"Raysia, _please _tell me you have a different shirt and some makeup in your locker."

Raysia shook her head. "Amber put a paint bomb in my—"

"I know," Rosalya interrupted, "Alexy told me. But there is no way in hell I'm letting you go out on your date dressed like that."

Raysia looked down at herself. "What's wrong with the way I look?"

Rosalya grabbed her wrist and dragged her into the girl's bathroom.

"You're lucky we're the same size and I keep an extra set of clothes here at school. I also have my makeup with me so I'll fix you up really nice for your date."

"It's not a date. Castiel and I are just going to practice lines and he's going to buy me a coke."

Rosalya gave her a stern look. "Sweetie, that's a date. Don't argue with me."

"I'm going to miss my next class!"

"It's nothing important. You'll be fine."

Rosalya pulled her makeup bag and a baby blue lace top from her bag. She tossed the top at Raysia along with a string of pearls. Without saying a word, Rosalya pointed at the bathroom stall and Raysia walked inside with a roll of her eyes.

"Be quick so I can finish your makeup before the end of this period." Rosalya told the blonde. Raysia stepped out of the stall and smiled hesitantly at Rosalya. Rosalya motioned at her. "Turn for me."

Raysia complied.

"Take your hair out of that dreadful pony tail for pete's sake." Rosalya commanded. Raysia allowed her hair, now dry, to spill over her shoulders in wavy tresses. "I didn't know you're hair was so pretty! Why do you straighten it all the time?"

Raysia shrugged. "I like it straight." Was her answer. Rosalya crooked her finger at her in a "come hither" motion.

"I am going to curl that hair for you too. Hurry and come here so I can fix you up before next class."

Rosalya worked her hardest in that hour, curling Raysia's hair, applying thick eyeliner and gray eye shadow with a hint of blue, and lining her lips with light purple. Once finished, she stepped back to admire her creation. Raysia's hair rested in tight ringlets down her back and her bangs were curled nicely to frame her face. She was already a rather pretty girl and the makeup Rosalya had added only served to enhance that beauty.

"You look like a model, Ray." Rosalya said with a smile. Raysia slowly approached the mirror to look at her reflection. She was more than a little surprised to say the least.

"Is that— me?"

Rosalya nodded, her smile turning into a huge, Cheshire cat grin.

"That boy is not going to be able to keep his eyes off of you!"

Raysia pulled the white-haired girl into a hug.

"Thank you, Rosalya. What would I do without you?"

Rosalya smirked. "End up going on that date of yours dressed like a bum. Happy to help." She said. Raysia rolled her eyes good-naturedly at her friend.

"We better get to class now. It's about to start and I don't fancy missing yet another class today." Raysia said. Rosalya nodded and the two girls left the bathroom.

Raysia kept watching the clock as the minutes ticked by. The second the bell rang to signal the end of the school day, she was out of her seat and headed to her locker. She smiled as she noticed how clean Castiel had managed to make it. There were a few small red stains, but other than that it was fine. Her things weren't as ruined as she feared and would simply retain a slightly red tint in places. It wasn't the end of the world. She swapped her books and binders quickly and shut the door with a satisfied clack. Raysia rolled back her shoulders, took a deep breath, and walked out of the school building.

Castiel was waiting for her just outside the entrance. His eyes widened at the sight of her and the corners of his mouth curled up into a tiny smile. His eyes met hers, trapping her in place. Raysia returned his smile with one of her own.

Before she walked down the few steps to come face to face with him, she noticed Castiel's eye glance up for a moment. A look of abject horror filled his eyes when the focused on something above her. Raysia was extremely confused.

"Wha—"

Castiel's panicked eyes met hers. "MOVE!" he shouted.

"But I don't—" Raysia started, looking up to see what had him so worried.

It was too late. Raysia was hit with a stream of awful smelling water and drenched with it from head to toe. Someone, Castiel she figured, grabbed her wrist and pulled her forward several steps. A loud clang sounded moments after in the spot where she had stood. Raysia turned to see a large metal bucket, probably the source of the foul smelling water.

Had Castiel not pulled her out of the way, she would have been knocked unconscious.

Raysia looked up to see a flash of blonde hair disappear out of the window. She then looked down at herself to see that the top Rosalya had lent was ruined. She guessed her makeup was runny and screwed up beyond recognition. She wanted to scream she was so frustrated.

"Amber has to ruin _everything_, doesn't she?"

"Come on," Castiel said, not answering her rhetorical question, "I'll walk you home so you can change before we go practice lines."

"I smell terrible… It's going to take me _weeks_ to wash the stench out of my hair." Raysia complained. Castiel smirked.

"Hey, maybe I should ask to have my part re-casted. No way do I want to kiss some smelly chick." He teased. Raysia rolled her eyes.

"Whatever, you turd." She said, shoving him playfully. "Like I'd want to kiss such a rude boy anyway." She teased back. Castiel simply laughed, reaching out to take her hand to lead her home.

"_Maybe today wasn't so bad."_ Raysia thought to herself, squeezing Castiel's hand gently. He squeezed her hand back.


	3. Chapter 3

**Here is Chapter 3! Oh, and for the end of the chapter, I have a manga version of it on my tumblr page so if you want to see it, check out chaosangel4us . tumblr . com (remove the spaces, of course). I worked hard on it, so I'd love some feedback. **

**Here we _finally_ have the "date" between Raysia and Castiel. Hopefully I don't disappoint!  
**

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Raysia took a nice, long shower in order to wash the stench from the sewer water that had been dumped on her earlier out of her hair. Castiel was patiently waiting for her where she left him: on her living room couch.

Once satisfied with the amount of scrubbing she inflicted upon her person, she quickly dressed and blow-dried her hair. She didn't waste much time doing her makeup or straightening her hair; she didn't want to make Castiel wait for her for much longer.

"Finished!" Raysia exclaimed as she stepped out of her bedroom. Castiel made a scene of standing slowly and cracking his neck.

"It's about time! You took forever."

Raysia rolled her eyes as she slipped on her tennis shoes. "Stop complaining and let's go."

Castiel came up behind her and leaned toward her, burying his face in her hair. He took a deep breath and Raysia froze.

"What are you—"

"Sorry, Blondie. You still smell like sewer water." Castiel teased and he stood back up. Raysia glared at him and smacked his arm.

"Idiot! No need to be mean! I tried."

"Obviously you didn't try hard enough. Do I need to help you rewash that smelly hair of yours?" Castiel said teasingly. He received the reaction he was hoping for: Raysia blushed bright crimson and she walked out of her house without another word.

"Just come on. We've wasted enough time already."

"_You've_ wasted enough time already." Castiel corrected her. Raysia glared at him. He laughed and mussed up her hair. "Chill out; I'm just teasing you."

"You _always _tease me." Raysia responded rather coldly. Castiel grinned at her.

"Because you're so much fun to tease."

A few minutes later, they reached the café. There weren't too many people around which Raysia was happy about. She didn't want to practice her lines in front of a bunch of people. They took their seats and a waiter came to take their order. Castiel ordered a coke and two slices of coconut crème pie.

"You like coconut crème pie?" Raysia asked in surprise. Castiel nodded, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Yeah, what's it to you?"

Raysia shook her head. "It's my favorite pie. I just never expected you to like it either." She said.

"What pie did you think would be my favorite?"

Raysia shrugged. "I don't really know. I didn't expect coconut crème."

Castiel snorted at her answer before rummaging through his bag to grab his script. Raysia followed suit, pulling hers out of the binder she had placed it in earlier in the day. The two scripts side by side were a pair; Castiel's was crumpled and torn while Raysia's was unmarred except for a small crease in the corner.

"Well, the prince and princess meet early in the play in the forest. We should start there. Page 7, I think." Castiel said, flipping to that page.

"You read the script already?" Raysia asked. Castiel glanced at her quickly over the top of his script.

"You didn't?"

Raysia shook her head.

"Whatever. You'll get to read it now."

"Do you want me to start?" Raysia asked. Castiel nodded so Raysia cleared her throat before speaking. "Excuse me, sir. Are you lost?"

"I have never been to this part of the forest before. Perhaps you could point me in the direction of town?"

"Town? Oh, no, sir. I am not allowed in town so I am unsure of the direction it could be. Perhaps north of here? That is where I have been told to stay far away from."

"Could you be more specific?"

"Let me finish my meal and I can take you in that direction, as far as I dare."

"May I join you? I have my own meal."

"I suppose so."

As Raysia finished the line, the waiter returned with their pie and coke.

"Could we have two straws?" Castiel asked, motioning at the coke. The waiter nodded, pulling two out of his pocket.

"Yes of course."

After the waiter left, Castiel plucked the two straws into the glass and took a long drink. He offered it to Raysia. She took a sip from the second straw while Castiel took a bite of pie.

"This next part looks like we're supposed to be standing. Shall we…?" Raysia asked, motioning to the empty space beside them. Castiel shrugged.

"Sure, why not."

The two stood and Raysia continued.

"This is as far as I dare take you, sir. I believe that if you continue walking in that direction you will reach the town."

Castiel grabbed Raysia's hand.

"Come with me."

Raysia, a bit flustered at the contact stuttered. "I-I'm afraid I cannot. I live here in the forest."

"You are the most beautiful woman I have ever met." Castiel spoke, looking into Raysia's eyes. "If you cannot come with me, please permit me to see you again tomorrow."

Raysia nodded. "Yes, I believe I can allow that. I shall meet you here by this tree."

Castiel glanced down at his script quickly before setting it down on the table. He reached out his hand to tuck it behind Raysia's head. Ever so slowly he leaned in. "I shall see you tomorrow." He whispered. Raysia held her breath and closed her eyes, preparing for him to kiss her. The pressure behind her neck faded.

He didn't kiss her.

Raysia opened her eyes to see Castiel doubled over in laughter. She glared at him.

"I can't believe you actually thought I was going to kiss you! There isn't a kiss scene there in the script, dummy." He choked out between laughter. Raysia pouted.

"I knew that!"

"How could you if you didn't read the script?" he taunted. Raysia shoved his shoulders but it didn't have much effect. She settled for sitting in her chair and sulking along with glaring daggers at the redheaded monstrosity that was Castiel.

"You tease me way too much."

Castiel managed to pull himself together. He crouched down so he was eye level with her. Raysia noticed that he had become rather serious.

"Raysia, if I'm going to kiss you, it's not going to be because some stupid script tells me I have to." He said. Raysia's heart skipped a beat and butterflies churned in her stomach.

"What do you—" she started to say, but was interrupted by Castiel pressing his lips firmly against hers. Her eyes widened in shock and her mouth opened slightly in a sharp gasp, something Castiel took great advantage of.

—

"Hey, Rosa, Amber dumped a bucket of sewer water on me while I was wearing your top and I'm pretty sure it's ruined. I've washed it three times to make it stop smelling so horrible, but I think I'm going to have to buy you another one." Raysia told her best friend over the phone.

"Oh, that's okay. Don't worry about it. I'm just upset that you didn't get to look so smoking hot on your date with Castiel. Speaking of which, how did it go?"

"Well…" Raysia trailed off, chewing her lower lip in embarrassment. "He kissed me."

The line was silent.

"Rosa?"

"He _WHAT!" _Rosalya shrieked from the other side. Raysia winced and pulled the phone away from her ear. "Oh my _gosh_ that is fantastic! Did you guys practice a kiss scene? Is that it?"

"No, we were practicing a scene and I thought there was a kiss scene in it because he leaned in and acted like he was going for it, but it turns out he was just teasing me. I got frustrated at him, but then he told me 'if I'm gonna kiss you it won't be because of a stupid script' and then he kissed me." Raysia explained, twisting a strand of hair between her fingers.

"And? What happened next?" Rosalya pressed.

"Um, we ate pie and he walked me home."

"Did he kiss you again?"

"No, but that was probably because I kind of maybe sort of slammed the door in his face when I walked into my house." Raysia admitted sheepishly.

"You _WHAT!"_ Rosalya shrieked. Raysia winced again and pulled the phone a little further from her ear. "He walked you to your door and you left him hanging? He's going to think you don't like him!"

"I didn't mean to! I was just so surprised and I didn't know what to do about it so I panicked!" Raysia said, trying to explain herself. She was suddenly worried about seeing Castiel the next day. "What do I do tomorrow?"

"Whatever you do, _do not_ avoid him. That is a _very_ bad idea." Rosalya warned her.

So the next day, Raysia avoided Castiel. She stayed away from his usual hangouts and if she saw him coming down the hallway, she spun on her heels and headed in the opposite direction. Everyone could tell something was up.

"What in the world is up with you today, Ray?" Alexy asked during lunch that day. Rosalya had given him the day off because she wanted to work in peace for a little while. Alexy was perfectly fine with that. "You have been acting paranoid and jumpy all day today. Care to enlighten us?"

The rest of the table gave her expectant looks. Raysia shifted nervously in her seat. She refused to meet her friends' eyes.

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it." Came her answer. Violette raised an eyebrow at her friend, not buying it.

"Are you sure it has nothing to do with our resident rebellious redhead?" she asked innocently. Raysia blushed crimson.

"No! It's, well, you see—"

"—Blondie over here and I kissed." A voice behind her finished for her. Raysia froze as she easily recognized the angry snarl in his voice. "And now I need to talk to her before she runs off again."

Raysia felt him grab her by the back of her backpack and drag her out of her seat. She sheepishly met his eyes.

"Hi, Castiel."

"Hello."

He gave the group at the table a sarcastic grin before dragging the blonde behind him. They watched with veiled amusement, no one very surprised at the turn of events.

"I figured it had something to do with Castiel." Lysander said. "He's been sulking all day. Match that with Raysia's strange behavior…" he trailed off. Alexy laughed.

"Yeah, it makes sense alright. Though it's about time those two got together! Practically the entire school has been waiting for it to happen." Alexy said. There were nods of agreement from the others sitting with them. They all turned their attention back to their lunches, leaving Castiel and Raysia to their business.

Raysia opened her mouth to speak but Castiel shook his head, still practically dragging her behind him.

"Not a word until we get somewhere private."

Raysia snapped her jaws closed so fast they made an audible clack. She stopped letting him drag her and walked patiently behind Castiel as he led her into the stairway. As soon as he released her, she made a mad dash for the exit. Castiel caught her easily and dragged her back to the staircase. He waited for a moment until she stopped thrashing about. He gave her a pointed glare once she was still for a while.

"If I let you go, will you promise to _stay put?"_ He demanded. Raysia nodded slowly. "Okay, good."

He let go of her and she didn't try to run again.

"What is wrong with you today?"

"Nothing."

"Don't lie to me. You've been avoiding me all day. Are you embarrassed that I kissed you or something?"

Raysia stayed silent which Castiel took as a yes. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

"Look, I'm sorry that you didn't like it. I won't do it again, okay?"

Raysia shook her head slowly. "No, that's not it. I just—" she stopped, not sure how to continue. Castiel cornered her in against the wall at the stairwell. He placed his arm above her head and stared down at her, gritting his teeth.

"What? You just what?"

Raysia sighed in frustration, unable to voice how she felt. Instead, she settled for grabbing Castiel by the lapels of his jacket and pulling him in for a second kiss. Castiel stood there in shock for a moment before wrapping his arms around her and pulling her tighter against his body.


	4. Chapter 4

**One more chapter to go! And maybe an epilogue. I'm not quite sure yet. Thank you to everyone who has supported this story so far. I really appreciate it. I love these characters and the storyline by beemoov. It's wonderful and I love being able to play around with it.**

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"Well, I guess that answers that question." Castiel said with a smirk. Raysia rolled her eyes at him and took a seat on the stairs. Castiel sat down next to her.

"Shut up. I'm not good with this sort of stuff."

"I noticed."

Raysia gave him a sour look. "Well, _I'm_ sorry! It's very difficult to try to figure out what's going on in that empty head of yours. It gets confusing." She said, crossing her arms over her chest. Castiel laughed and ruffled her long blonde hair. She swatted his hand away, sticking her tongue out at him once he left her alone. This only caused the redhead to laugh at her again.

"Hey, Raysia, I have something for you."

Raysia looked at him in curiosity. "What is it?" she asked. She noticed Castiel blush ever so slightly. He fidgeted nervously in his spot on the stairs for a moment before standing up and turning away from her.

"Meet me tomorrow afternoon in the courtyard."

"Why?"

"Just do it, okay?" Castiel snapped. Raysia didn't take offense at it; she could tell he was extremely nervous about something. She smiled at him and nodded.

"Alright, Castiel. I will meet you in the courtyard tomorrow afternoon." She told him, placing her hand on his arm. He nodded sharply.

"Good. I'll, uh, see you then."

And then he was gone. Raysia's heart was beating a mile a minute as she walked back to lunch. She hadn't been able to eat very much before Castiel had appeared to drag her away. When she came back outside, her friends gave her knowing looks. She turned her nose up and tried to act like nothing had happened, but the faint flush to her cheeks gave her away.

"Aw, Ray, you guys are so cute!" Violette said smiling. Raysia gave her a blank stare.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." She deadpanned. Lysander chuckled softly from beside her.

"Raysia, there's nothing to be embarrassed about." He said. "Besides, I'm positive you'll enjoy the surprise he has for you tomorrow."

"You know what it is?"

"Of course," he said with a nod, "I _am_ his best friend after all."

"Tell me!"

"I can't."

"Why not?" Raysia nearly whined and pouted.

"Because it is a surprise." Lysander answered her. She crossed her arms over her chest and stuck her lower lip out in a pout.

"I hate surprises…"

"Yo, Raysia, you up for shopping this afternoon with Violette, Iris, and I?" Kim asked from across the table. Raysia nodded at her, her pout turning into a smile.

"Of course! That sounds like fun."

"You mind asking Melody if she wants to come since she's in you're next class and all?"

Raysia shook her head. "I don't. Do you want me to ask Rosalya too?" she asked. Kim shrugged, taking a bite out of her apple.

"I mean, you can if you want, but she ran by earlier shouting something about 'never finishing these stupid costumes on time,' so I would assume she'd be spending this afternoon working." Kim said. Raysia nodded in agreement.

"I'll still ask, just in case. Wouldn't want to make her feel left out."

Kim smiled. "'Course not. I think she's in Classroom B."

Raysia thanked Kim for her help and packed up her things as the lunch bell rang. She was rather disappointed she didn't have much time to eat, but kissing Castiel in the stairwell was a pretty decent alternative. Her stomach growled as she walked to Classroom B where Rosalya had set up her costume workshop. She knocked on the door before entering.

The room was full to overflowing with fabric and half-constructed costumes. A dark green gown sat mostly finished closest to the door while a navy blue prince coat with gold buttons hung on the door itself. Cerulean, orange, purple, pink, and red fabrics were stacked to the ceiling in all four corners of the room along with strewn across most of the desks. Raysia was worried Rosalya might be trapped beneath a large stack of fabric.

"Are you here, Rosa?" she called in worry. A head of white hair popped up over the teacher's desk and the gold-eyed girl waved at her with a smile.

"Yes I am, sweetie! How can I help?"

"Um, well, Kim, Violette, possibly Melody, and I are going shopping after school today. Would you like to come?" Raysia asked. Rosalya grimaced and shook her head.

"Sorry, Ray, but as you can see, I have a lot to do. I'd love to, but I'm going to have to pass today. Have fun though!" she smiled good-naturedly at her best friend and then disappeared behind more fabric. Raysia sighed, worried that her friend would end up working herself too hard, but closed the door behind her as she left.

Raysia met Melody in her next class and she agreed to join them for shopping that afternoon. The five girls met up outside the school and decided to walk to the mall nearby.

"So, how did your meeting with Castiel go?" Kim asked knowingly. Raysia blushed and Melody glanced at her friends in confusion.

"What happened with Castiel and Raysia?" Melody asked.

"Apparently they kissed yesterday, according to him." Kim answered. "He then showed up at lunch today and dragged out pretty little friend here away from us for most of lunch. When she returned, alone, she was blushing up a storm."

Melody smiled teasingly at Raysia. "Oh, _really?"_

"It's nothing! Forget it." Raysia protested. Iris laughed and came over to look her arm through Raysia's.

"Oh, Raysia, you don't need to be embarrassed! We're all your friends and we promise to only tease you in private." Iris said and winked at Raysia.

"Yeah, please tell us?" Violette sweetly asked. Raysia sighed in defeat. She would tell them.

"Alright, so after Castiel kissed me yesterday, I felt kind of awkward around him. I'm not so good at this kind of stuff and avoided him all day today. He didn't like that so he cornered me in the stairway to ask me what was wrong, if it was the kiss, if I didn't feel the same, etc. I didn't know how to explain it and _I_ kissed _him_ just to show him that I was okay with everything and that's pretty much it." Raysia explained. "Oh, wait! I almost forgot. He then told me he had something for me and to meet him in the courtyard tomorrow." She added. The girls all had matching grins on their faces by the time Raysia had finished.

"That is so cute!" Melody gushed, pressing her hand over her heart as if she would swoon. "Who knew Castiel was so adorable?"

"I always knew he had that side to him, but it's good to know he found a good girl to share it with." Iris told Raysia.

"Well, since he's going to give you something tomorrow afternoon, we should help you pick out something cute to wear tomorrow." Kim said, grabbing Raysia's arm and dragging her into one of the shops at the mall. Raysia laughed as everyone pitched in to help her find "the perfect outfit".

They eventually settled on a white shirt with a black and white striped cloth sleeveless jacket to wear over it. Kim recommended she wear a pair of black skinny jeans as well. Raysia thanked her for the advice before saying farewell to her friends and heading home.

Raysia was a ball of nerves when she walked into school the next morning. She tugged on the hem of her shirt (a nervous habit) and twisted a strand of hair between her fingers (another nervous habit of hers). Her friends smiled knowingly at her as she passed them in the hallway.

"Ray-Ray!" Alexy called from the opposite end of the hallway. Raysia felt relief flood her at the sight of her blue-haired friend. Alexy was always an extremely calming presence for her due to his sunny disposition and the fact he always had a smile on his face.

"Alexy!" Raysia called back, tackling him in a hug. The taller guy laughed and squeezed her gently.

"How's my best friend in the whole world doing this morning?" He asked, still smiling. "You seem like you need some cheering up."

Raysia shook her head, breathing in deeply against his chest. Alexy always smelled peculiarly of cinnamon. It wasn't a bad scent; on the contrary, it was familiar and very soothing.

"No, I just need some calming down. I'm feeling a bit nervous."

"Want to talk about it?"

Raysia explained to him about the situation with Castiel and how he was giving something to her this afternoon.

"Maybe he'll propose!" Alexy mock-whispered teasingly. Raysia laughed and shoved his shoulder.

"You're such a handful!" she exclaimed. Alexy winked at her.

"But that's what you love about me!"

"You'd like to think so, wouldn't you?"

Alexy laughed. "Oh, Ray, you've got no reason to worry. Castiel obviously likes you; whatever he has for you is bound to be wonderful. You'll love it; isn't that what Lys told you?"

Raysia nodded. He had a point. Alexy waved goodbye and headed to his first period, mentioning something about "hiding from the white-haired she-demon".

After her brief exchange with Alexy, she felt much better. He was right; she had nothing to worry about.

She tried telling that to the butterflies in her stomach once the school day ended. She hadn't seen Castiel once. Not even during first period, their only class together. She was feeling mildly worried, but this was typical of him. Castiel rarely came to class.

Most people thought it was because he was rebellious and didn't care about his grades, but Raysia knew better. Castiel was brilliant; so brilliant in fact that he didn't need to go to class to ace his classes. The teachers didn't like that, but he wasn't struggling or failing, so they tended to let him be.

Raysia took several calming deep breaths before walking out into the courtyard. The bright light momentarily blinded her, but once her vision cleared she saw Castiel sitting on a bench tuning a guitar.

"Castiel?"

He smiled at her and waved her over. "Come here."

"What are you—?"

"Hush," he interrupted, "just listen."

Raysia fell silent as he began to play. He opened the song with a full chord before beginning with the most beautiful song she had ever heard. As he strummed the guitar, Castiel refused to meet Raysia's eyes. He glanced at the ground by her feet instead.

"_Is this song… for… me?" _she thought to herself, blushing. The song was absolutely beautiful. There were no words, but Raysia could almost feel what he was trying to tell her. It very nearly brought tears to her eyes.

Castiel looked up at her and when their eyes met, she melted at his gaze. She had fallen so hard for her redheaded rebel. Once he finished the song, he gave her an unsure smile.

"So, what did you think?" he asked hesitantly. Raysia smiled and came over to sit beside him. He placed his guitar at his side. Raysia said nothing at first; she simply leaned in and pressed her lips firmly against his. Castiel cupped her cheek, angling his head to the right.

"I think I'll take that as you liked it." Castiel said. Raysia laughed.

"I loved it! That was beautiful, Castiel."

Castiel pecked her lips quickly. "I wrote it for you."

"You're so romantic." Raysia said, nudging him teasingly. Castiel snorted.

"You're making me all soft."

"Cheeseball." Raysia taunted amiably.

Castiel shoved her gently. "Whatever, Blondie."

"I left my bag up in my classroom on the second floor. Would you mind waiting for me?" Raysia asked as she stood from the bench. Castiel smirked at her.

"What's my incentive?"

"This."

Raysia kissed him full on the mouth. When she pulled away, Castiel tried to follow her. Raysia smirked as she placed her finger against his lips to halt his assault.

"Hold your horses, big guy. I'll be right back."

Raysia hurried back into the school, up the stairs, and into her classroom to grab the backpack she had so carelessly forgotten. She was giddy beyond belief, very nearly skipping as she made her way to the staircase. However, a voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Well, well, well. Look who's here."

Raysia spun around to see Amber standing behind her in the hallway. Raysia couldn't help the knot that began to settle in her stomach.

"A-Amber. What a lovely surprise."

Amber approached her slowly, stalking her like a cat. Raysia backed up as she approached.

"I saw you out there with Castiel. He is _mine_. How dare you think you can just waltz in here and steal him away from me!" Amber screeched.

"He isn't yours, Amber." Raysia said slowly. "I'm sorry you're hurt, but I really like Castiel and he really likes me. Maybe if you weren't so mean to everyone all the time, getting guys like him to like you wouldn't be so difficult."

Amber's face was twisted in a nasty sneer. She continued to approach until Raysia very nearly toppled over the edge of the staircase. She looked down to steady herself, but when she looked back up, Amber was right in front of her.

"You really should have stayed locked in that closet where I left you." She sneered.

Amber grabbed Raysia by the shoulders and after offering her a sarcastic smile, pushed Raysia until she lost her balance and tumbled down the stairs. Raysia cried out in pain as she hit the ground hard and the sickening crack in her leg only served to make things worse. She was in excruciating pain and couldn't move for fear of injuring herself further. She cried out in agony at the foot of the staircase.

"Raysia!" came a familiar concerned voice and she looked up to see a familiar pair of gray eyes, now filled with panic and concern, framed by vibrant red hair. "Don't worry, Raysia. Everything's going to be okay." He promised her. She blinked miserably, tears streaming from her eyes and blurring her vision.

"Castiel! The ambulance is on its way."

Raysia recognized the voice as Lysander. She tried to say something, anything, but even her attempts to breathe were painful.

"Breathe, Raysia. Everything's going to be okay. I'm here."

Blackness swirled in her vision and Raysia lost consciousness.


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm sorry for the long wait. I really have no excuses, but here it is. The end. The final chapter plus the epilogue. I thank everyone who was here for this story! I really appreciate all of the reviews and favorites. It means a lot to me. **

**As an added bonus, if you'd like to friend me on My Candy Love, simply search for "Raysia". I'd love to make some more friends! Once again, thank you to everyone for taking time to read this story. Who knows? There may be more stories in the future!**

* * *

"Miss Raysia? You have a few visitors. Would you like to see them?" the nurse asked from the open door. Raysia nodded with a smile.

"Yes, please. I would enjoy the company."

Lysander, Alexy, Rosalya, Violette, Kim, Iris, and Melody came into the room. Alexy was holding a large stuffed animal along with several balloons. Rosalya came to sit on the hospital bed with Raysia, taking her hand in her own and squeezing it.

"How you holding up, sweetie?" Rosalya asked. Raysia shrugged.

"I'm alright. My ankle in sprained, I have a simple fracture of my tibia, along with three broken ribs and a whole lot of bruising."

"Will you have to walk on crutches?"

Raysia nodded. "For a while, but that won't be until after my ribs and bruising heal some. I'll be bed ridden for a while." She said. Raysia sighed longingly. "So much for doing the play… Looks like Amber got what she wanted."

Rosalya grimaced. "None of us are looking forward to working with her. I mean, I guess now it gives me an excuse to design a truly horrible dress for her, so I suppose that's a plus."

Raysia giggled and the rest of her friends joined in. The image of Amber in a poofy, hot pink dress was quite amusing.

"I'm not really looking forward to Castiel kissing Amber in the play…" Raysia said sadly, feeling anger begin to take root at the thought of her boyfriend (well, she supposed he was her boyfriend now) kissing the nasty blonde. Raysia however missed the amused glances her friends gave to each other.

"We hope you get better soon." Violette said, coming to stand behind Rosalya.

"But until you do, we have all decided to help gather your homework and get you caught up while you are out of commission." Lysander added with a sweet smile.

Raysia looked around at all her friends. "Thank you guys."

"We know you'll be struggling after missing so much school, Raysia." Kim chimed in. "We care about you and want you to succeed."

Raysia started to tear up. All her friends came around her bed to attempt a group hug. It worked more or less and Raysia was satisfied when they pulled away.

"You guys are the best friends a girl could ask for."

Alexy sat the large bear next to her. "I saw this at the clothing shop and Leigh let me buy it for you." He said. Raysia beamed at him.

"You're so sweet. All of you."

"Yes, well, to my knowledge, someone else really wanted to see you. Alone." Lysander said, ushering everyone out of the room. "We'll go grab some lunch and be back in twenty."

As soon as her friends left, Castiel walked into the room. He had a huge bouquet of roses that he placed on her bedside. He coughed and straightened his jacket.

"So, um, guys are supposed to bring flowers to the girls they like or something. I figured now would be a good time." Was his gruff explanation. Raysia hid a grin behind her hand. She motioned for him to sit next to her.

"Come here."

Castiel complied without a fuss and was rewarded with a passionate kiss. He tangled his fingers in her hair and slipped his tongue into her mouth to deepen it. Raysia grinned against his mouth and pulled his head against hers more fiercely. Once the two had successfully stolen each other's breath, they pulled apart. Castiel rested his forehead against hers.

"I really don't want you kissing Amber, Castiel." Raysia said getting to the point as soon as possible. Castiel smirked at her.

"Would it make you jealous, Blondie?"

A dark look replaced the satisfied one on her face as she glared at the redhead. Castiel simply chuckled.

"I'm teasing, babe. You don't have to worry about me kissing her because I won't be." He said. Raysia let out a sigh of relief.

"So you're only going to fake it? Like put your face too far to one side?" she asked. Castiel cleared his throat, looking sheepish. Raysia raised an eyebrow at his behavior, utterly confused.

"Well, not exactly."

Raysia was extremely confused. "What?"

"I kinda sorta maybe mouthed off to the principle and ended up booted from the play." He muttered rather quickly. Raysia blinked, processing, before a smile spread over her lips.

"You did that? For me?"

"Don't make something out of it, Blondie."

Raysia simply kissed him again.

Castiel stayed with her for a while longer until her parents returned from the food court in the hospital. They smiled at the redhead and he swiftly left after bidding the family goodbye.

"Castiel is such a sweet boy. And I noticed all your classmates that came to visit. You've got some wonderful friends, Raysia." Her mother said with a smile. Raysia agreed.

"I do."

Not too long after that, the rest of her friends came up to the room to say goodbye, Rosalya electing to stay behind with her best friend. She took a seat beside Raysia and spoke with the family for a while until visiting hours were over.

"Bye, Raysia. I hope you're not too bored here for the next few weeks." Rosalya said, squeezing Raysia's hand gently. Raysia smiled at her friend and squeezed her hand back.

"No worries. Besides, any time I get to spend out of school is time well spent."

Rosalya laughed and bid her goodbyes as she left the hospital room. Raysia's mother took Rosalya's place on the bed. Raysia looked at her mother as she swiped a stray piece of hair behind Raysia's ear. She smiled at her daughter.

"I'm sorry this had to happen, my dear." Her mother told her sadly. "I know how excited you were about the school play. You got the lead and everything!"

"There will be other plays, Mother." Raysia said, grabbing her mother's hand.

"Oh, I know, darling. But I'm still sad that you can no longer participate."

"It'll be okay." Raysia said, smiling. "Besides, I've got plenty of friends looking out for me."

Raysia's mother nodded, smiling as well. "Yes you do, darling. Yes you do."

The weeks were long and tiresome where Raysia couldn't leave her bed. She had been discharged from the hospital halfway through her sentence, but had to spend the remainder of it stuck in bed. Her friends visited nearly everyday and Castiel made a point to visit everyday. He lived next door, afterall. On more than one occasion, Raysia's parents insisted he stay for dinner to which he accepted.

"How was school today, Castiel?" Raysia's mother asked. Castiel shrugged, taking a bite of the pasta she had made.

"It was the same as usual: boring and long."

"Missed out little Raysia, huh?" her dad teased, winking at the redhead. Castiel smirked as Raysia began to fumble her words in embarrassment.

"Little bit. School's much more tolerable when she's around."

Raysia blushed and averted her eyes so her parents couldn't see, but she also hid a grin at Castiel's words. He cared about her. Raysia already knew this, but it was nice to hear it from him.

"Hey, Castiel, isn't the school play tonight?" Raysia asked, looking up from her plate at her boyfriend. Castiel nodded.

"Yeah, why?"

"Do you want to go see it?"

Castiel was silent, as were her parents.

"Raysia, are you sure you want to go see it?" her mother asked. Raysia nodded slowly.

"All of my friends are a part of it. I want to be there to support them." She answered determinedly. Castiel nodded at her response.

"Alright, as long as you're sure. It start in like an hour so we should probably go get tickets." He said, picking up his plate to put it in the dishwasher. "Wait, how are you going to get there?"

"I have a wheelchair, Castiel. You can push me."

Castiel rolled his eyes as Raysia stuck her tongue out at him. Raysia's parents shared a knowing look. Their daughter was growing up and falling in love… It was only a matter of time before she was out on her own with a live away from home and her own responsibilities. Raysia turned to look at her parents.

"Do you want to come to the show too?"

Her mother shook her head. "No, it's alright. You and Castiel go support your friends. We'll clean up dinner."

Raysia gave her mother a grateful smile before Castiel wheeled her out of the house. Luckily the school wasn't too far away, but Raysia enjoyed being able to speak with Castiel.

"Thank you for doing this for me." She said. Castiel shrugged.

"No big deal. The play's gonna be crummy anyway."

"Hey!" Raysia began to protest, but Castiel interrupted her.

"Without you in it, there's really no point in going."

"Then why are you?"

Castiel was quiet for a moment. "Because you wanted to go, duh."

Raysia felt butterflies in her stomach at his words and giggled. It was nice to know that he cared about her. Castiel wasn't the easiest person to try to get along with, but once you did… Raysia knew it was worth it.

Once they reached the school, Castiel and Raysia were given front row seats due to her condition. Castiel settled in next to her, taking her hand in his. She smiled at him and he pecked her lips quickly before the show began.

"Who did they end up getting to play the Prince?" Raysia whispered to Castiel as the curtain rose. He shrugged and opened his mouth to comment when the question was answered for them.

"What a wonderful time to go hunting in the grand 'ol forest!" shouted a booming voice. Raysia couldn't help herself. She doubled over with laugher.

"_Boris!_" she wheezed. Castiel joined with her laughter. Both could only imagine how Amber responded when she found out that Castiel had turned down the role and Boris was now taking his place. Castiel leaned over to kiss Raysia again. She smirked at him when he pulled away.

"Someone's a little needy today, hm?"

Castiel ruffled her hair.

"Not like I've really been able to kiss you lately because you've been stuck in your house."

Raysia's only reply was to pull him in for another kiss.

* * *

"Come on!" Castiel shouted, dragging the blonde behind him. "We're going to be late and we really can't afford that."

"Wow, I think this is the first time you've ever been concerned over a school related function." Raysia teased. Castiel gave her a sour look over his shoulder.

"Blondie, it's _graduation_. Don't you think you should be a little more concerned?"

"It's fine." She said, waving off his comment. "We'll make it. It'll be okay."

Castiel rolled his eyes and continued to tug her along after him. Raysia smiled, squeezing his hand in reassurance. She thought back on the last year of her life spent at Sweet Amoris High. She had made so many friends and despite the pain that was Amber, Raysia had enjoyed it.

She had met Castiel.

And to make matters better, they would be attending the same college next year. She didn't know if she loved him yet, but it was a distinct possibility for the future. Especially since she didn't have to worry about not seeing him very often.

There was no more need to worry. Everything was going to be fine. School may be ending and college slowly approaching, but Raysia wasn't worried. She had Castiel by her side. She glanced at the red head and tugged on their connected hands to pull him to a stop. He looked at her quizzically and she met his stare with a smirk and a coy smile. He got the message and leaned down to kiss her deeply.

And she would always have him by her side.


End file.
